DCC is definitely a standout from the LitRPG genre. I’ve tried reading other LitRPG books and was mostly underwhelmed if not outright wondering how it got published. The couple others I can think which are any good are Soda Pop Soldier by Nick Cole and NPCs by Drew Hayes (the last of those, it’s arguable if it fits in the genre).
"And just like that, Matt shows up to explain Progression Fantasy genre." 😁 I'm on pain meds right now, so I won't inflict my definition of the different genres within the Progression Fantasy umbrella. I will say that I need to read NPCs; thanks for sharing that one, Seth. And Soda Pop Soldier was awesome. Make sure you find a copy of "Pop Kult Warlord." That one is even more of a meld of GameLit and cyberpunk, but it's still awesome. The stakes make sense in those two and DCC. Too many LitRPGs have the stakes so low that you'd need a microscope to find them. "Oh, no!! I have to start over again with a new character (avatar)!" 🤦♂️ Carl and the protagonist in Soda Pop Soldier have actual skin in the game, and they've upped their game to make sure they survive. Physically.
That is indeed one of the reasons I believe they do stand out. There are others I have read where there are at least some stakes, but the main characters are poorly motivated. Let me know how you like NPCs, I’m not even sure if it’s true LitRPG as it’s set within a tabletop game as opposed to a video game and comes at that world from the opposite perspective as most.
Wild guess is it's LitRPG based upon the title, as NPCs are a major structural element of RPGs. 🤷♂️ I'll read the sample and find out. Once I'm done editing my Moggie Noir this week.
I got into the second chapter of "NPCs" and remembered that I'd read the sample over a year ago. Definitely, Progression Fantasy. And if not LitRPG, it's definitely adjacent to it. I've read a few other stories that cover the tales of the non-player characters that gain sapience. I forget why I passed on buying the full version, though. I may have just run out of time to start another novel. 🤷♂️ It may have been that the characters didn't resonate with me. I'm glad the players' characters died in the story, though. All but one were a-holes, IMHO.
I came into it not really expecting a lot, to be honest, but I was blown away. Very well thought out and well executed all around. I'm certainly a fan now! I really liked the audible versions. The voice actor is incredible.
DCC is definitely a standout from the LitRPG genre. I’ve tried reading other LitRPG books and was mostly underwhelmed if not outright wondering how it got published. The couple others I can think which are any good are Soda Pop Soldier by Nick Cole and NPCs by Drew Hayes (the last of those, it’s arguable if it fits in the genre).
Soda Pop Soldier is on my list (somewhere in the towering TBR pile), but I've never heard of NPCs. I'll check it out, thanks!
Soda Pop Soldier is great! But I’m partial to Strange Company overall.
"And just like that, Matt shows up to explain Progression Fantasy genre." 😁 I'm on pain meds right now, so I won't inflict my definition of the different genres within the Progression Fantasy umbrella. I will say that I need to read NPCs; thanks for sharing that one, Seth. And Soda Pop Soldier was awesome. Make sure you find a copy of "Pop Kult Warlord." That one is even more of a meld of GameLit and cyberpunk, but it's still awesome. The stakes make sense in those two and DCC. Too many LitRPGs have the stakes so low that you'd need a microscope to find them. "Oh, no!! I have to start over again with a new character (avatar)!" 🤦♂️ Carl and the protagonist in Soda Pop Soldier have actual skin in the game, and they've upped their game to make sure they survive. Physically.
That is indeed one of the reasons I believe they do stand out. There are others I have read where there are at least some stakes, but the main characters are poorly motivated. Let me know how you like NPCs, I’m not even sure if it’s true LitRPG as it’s set within a tabletop game as opposed to a video game and comes at that world from the opposite perspective as most.
Wild guess is it's LitRPG based upon the title, as NPCs are a major structural element of RPGs. 🤷♂️ I'll read the sample and find out. Once I'm done editing my Moggie Noir this week.
I got into the second chapter of "NPCs" and remembered that I'd read the sample over a year ago. Definitely, Progression Fantasy. And if not LitRPG, it's definitely adjacent to it. I've read a few other stories that cover the tales of the non-player characters that gain sapience. I forget why I passed on buying the full version, though. I may have just run out of time to start another novel. 🤷♂️ It may have been that the characters didn't resonate with me. I'm glad the players' characters died in the story, though. All but one were a-holes, IMHO.
I LOVE Dungeon Crawler Carl. I'm only on book 4 though. You can get the paperbacks and ebook on Amazon.
I came into it not really expecting a lot, to be honest, but I was blown away. Very well thought out and well executed all around. I'm certainly a fan now! I really liked the audible versions. The voice actor is incredible.
I honestly couldn’t tell you what makes it good. If you’d said, here’s a progression fantasy book to read, I’d have said no thanks.